rdw_440

Just got in from what will probably be my last trip out for the season :'(. I'd just like to say that getting a used weekender to learn to sail was a very good decision on my part. I started out knowing nothing about sailing this spring, but the boat proved to be very forgiving and very easy to handle for a beginner. She has some bumps and scrapes due to mistakes I made :, but I feel that I have learned a great deal thanks to her, and would recommend a weekender to anyone wanting to learn to sail.

First, thanks for the info to all. My weekender is 9 yr. old in good condition, the former owner took good care of it, was garage kept. All the wood is solid, exterior is glassed. I don't what kind of paint was originally used. Most of the paint problem is peeling/cracking below the waterline with a few dings and dents in the cockpit and on deck. Mainly I think I just want to go with a different color. What exactly does epoxy mean? Is this the same as the fiberglass resin, or a different type of product? Also, on the Stevenson site, they mention using auto body filler, is this the same thing known as "bondo"? As far as the folding mast, it looks as if it won't be too difficult to do, I'm just a little scared to make that saw cut, don't want to screw it up! I'm sure I will have a lot more questions. I'm glad I found this site and all this expertise to help me along.

Hi, I just bought a used weekender and would like to make some modifications. 1. She needs a new coat of paint. Can I just paint over the old, or should I remove the old paint and use a primer first? 2. What type of paint should I use? (inexpensive but still give good service) 3. She does not have the folding mast, and I would like to build one. Are there any directions that can be downloaded, or perhaps does anyone have a set of plans that I could buy (cheap) or borrow for a while. Any information would be greatly appreciated.